Spark plug cleaner



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July

Filed Aug. 6, 1934 INVENTOR ATTORNEY WITNESS Mw Patented July 9, 1935UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

The invention relates to a spark plug cleaner and more especially to asand blast cleaning appliance for spark plugs.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of an appliance ofthis character, wherein the same in its construction is usable atautomobile service stations for the purpose of cleaning spark plugs, inthat a blast of air, the volume of which is controllable, acts uponloose sand contained within a receptacle and such sand, under the airblast, is directed to the spark plugs as tted in this receptacle, sothat all foreign matter, carbon and other adhering particles can bereadily and easily removed under the action Another object of theinvention is the provision of an appliance of this character, whereinthe receptacle for containing the loose sand is of novel form so as topermit the fitting of a rspark plug therewith, so that the same whenattacked by a blast of air will operate to thoroughly clean the sparkplugs for the proper conditioning thereof for use in anvinternalcombustion engine. v

A further object of the invention is the provision of an appliance ofthis character, wherein a spark plug can be cleaned thoroughly and withdispatch without the necessity of the manual handling of the plug andwithout possibility of damage thereto during the cleaning period.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an applianceof this character which is simple in construction, thoroughly reliableand effective in its operation, convenient for easy handling, automaticin action, and inexpensive to manufacture and install.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in thefeatures of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as willbe hereinafter more fully described in detail, illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, which discloses the preferred embodiment of theinvention, and pointed out in the claim hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section of an applianceconstructed in accordance with the inventionl Figure 2 is a sectionalview on the line 2 2 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a top plan View.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional View on the line 4-4 of Figure 1looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a plan View of the air blast nozzle.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectiona1 View thereof.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View through the controlvalve for the air feed plpe.

Similar reference characters indicate correspending parts throughout theseveral views in the drawing.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the appliance comprises ahorizontally disposed cylindrical receptacle I0 supported upon a standII, it being made fast to a oor or foundation in any suitable manner,the receptacle IU at one end having a removable head I2, so that accessmay be had to the interior thereof, and this head is detachably threadedon the receptacle.

Rising from the top of the receptacle I0 is a hood I3 which is open, atI4, at opposite sides thereof and constitutes a roof for a spark plug I5which is detachably threaded in a receiving hole I6 provided in the topof the receptacle I0 so that the base of the plugY I5 with the sparkingpoint I'I will project into said receptacle for the purpose of thecleaning of the plug in a manner presently described.

Arranged at the bottom of the receptacle Il] and vertically aligned withthe hole I6 for accommodating the plug I5 is a perforated air blastnozzle I8, it being connected with an air feed pipe I9 which, throughthe union 20, has connection with an air supply pipe 2| leading from anysuitable source of air supply under pressure. Fitted in the pipe I9 onthat side of the union 20 having the run to the nozzle I8 is a valvecasing 22 having therein a cut-off valve 23 provided with a push plunger24 which terminates exteriorly of the casing 22 in a head 25 and thisvalve 23 is normally held seated or in closing position through themedium of a spring 26 as confined within the casing 22, so as to shutoff the air supply under pressure through the pipe I9 to the nozzle I8.The casing has tted therewith a spring tensioned latch 21 which isengageable selectively in keeper grooves 28 in the stem 24 of the valve23, so that the said valve 23 can be latched in several opened positionsfor varying the flow of air under pressure through the pipe I9 to thenozzle I8 for increasing or decreasing the blast within the receptacleI0. This receptacle I0 is adapted to contain a quantity of loose sand 29and the same in quantity covers the nozzle I8. Upon the flow of airunder pressure through the pipe I9 to the nozzle I8 the latter effects ablast of the sand 29, whereby it will act upon the spark plug I5 mountedin the hole I6 for the thorough cleaning of such plug. Arranged aboveand in vertical alignment with the hole I6 and the nozzle I8 aresuperposed or spaced substantially conical-shaped bales 30 and 3|,respectively, these directing the sand blast toward the plug I5 toassure a direct blast action thereon. The baille 30 is hung from the topof the receptacle II), while the baille 3| is supported upon brackets 32suitably arranged within the receptacle I0.

The top of the receptacle I outside of the hood I3, preferably beyondopposite ends thereof, has air escape ports 33 having wire meshcoverings 34 so that the sand 29 when under blast cannot escape from thereceptacle I0, but the air liberated within the receptacle I0 can haveescapement therefrom.

Underlying the ports 33 are shields 35, these relieving blasts of sandagainst the coverings 34 to avoid choking at the ports 33.

The latch 2'I is manually controlled and is operable to lock the Valve23 in selected open position.

The union 20 has joined therewith a valved air outlet nipple 36, thevalve 3I being manually controlled and adapted for iitting with thisnipple 36 is a spark plug so that a direct air blast thereagainst can behad through the nipple 36 for the cleaning of such plug.

It should be seen that the plug I5 when fitting the hole I6, when theappliance is in operation, with the nipple 36 closed, will be subjectedto a sand blast for the cleaning of such plug.

The plug I5 is readily insertable in the hole I6 in the receptacle I0 byintroduction through either open side of the hood I3 and is threadedinto the hole I6, as will be apparent from Figure 1 of the drawing.

The receptacle ID can be properly filled or supplied With sand 29 onremoving the head I2 from said receptacle, the removability of the headbeing for this purpose.

Spark plugs can be thoroughly cleaned to remove carbon and otherdeposits at the sparking points of such plugs with dispatch andautomatically in the use of the appliance embodying the presentinvention.

What is claimed is:

An appliance of the character described comprising a horizontallyarranged cylindrical receptacle adapted to contain loose sand and havinga spark plug opening centrally located at the uppermost portion thereof,a removable head at one end ofvthe receptacle, a hood rising from theuppermast'portion of the receptacle to form a roof for a spark plug whenengaged in the spark plug hole and having openings at opposite sidesthereof for the free introduction of the spark plugs to the said sparkplug hole, a perforated blast nozzle located in vertical alignment withthe spark plug hole and within the receptacle close to the lowermostportion thereof, means for supplying air under pressure to the saidnozzle for directing the loose sand in a stream toward the spark plughole, concentrically arranged substantially conical-shaped bailleswithin the receptacle and disposed in vertically spaced relation to eachother in alignment with the nozzle and said spark plug hole, theuppermost baille being joined with the uppermost portion of thereceptacle to depend therefrom elevated with respect to the other bale,brackets arranged in the receptacle and supporting the lowermost baillein a lowermost position with relation to the other baille, the saidreceptacle at its uppermost portion being provided with air escape portsclose to opposite ends thereof, shields depending from the uppermostportion of the receptacle and downwardly diverging beneath the airescape ports, and wire mesh coverings for the said air escape ports.

STEVE G. BALIKO.

